Tag printing device



Jan. 15, 1957 H. 1. LIPPARD TAG PRINTING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 16, 19 55 INVENTOR. HERMAN I. Ll PPARD A 'TTOR NE v51 Jan. 1957 H. 1. LIPPARD TAG PRINTING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 16, 1955 Ill vln I.

INVENTOR. HERMAN I. LIPPARD A TTORNE Y}.

Jan. 15, 1957 H. l. LIPPARD TAG PRINTING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 16, 1955 INVENTOR.

HERMAN I. LIPPARD BY W W W Jan. 15, 1957 H. I. LIPPARD 2,777,387

TAG PRINTINGDEVICE Filed Aug. 16, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. HERMAN LIPPARD BY WWW United States Patent TAG PRINTING DEVICE Herman I. Lippard, Lake Worth, Fla.

Application August 16, 1955, Serial No. 528,610

7 Claims. (Cl. 101-111) This invention relates to a tag or ticket printing device of the type shown in my Patent 2,569,013 and constitutes an improvement thereover." I

The primary object of the invention is to provide a tag printing device comprising a frame mounting springurged rollers and endless type-carrying strips engaging the rollers and a means to move the strips from a fixed printing position to a movable type setting position which is easily operable and permits rapid and accurate type setting.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tag printing device of the character described in which the means to move the type strips to a type setting position also operates aligner springs which make possible straight alignment of type characters and which also prevent self shifting of the characters when the frames are and withdrawn from holders.

Another object of the invention is 'to provide a tag printing device of the character described in which the means to move type strips from a printing to a movable type setting position includes an eccentrically operated fin bar which is adapted to raise and lower strip-engaging rollers at the printing end of the frame, the fin bar being grooved to receive the rollers and thereby restrain'the self-shifting tendency of the type strips.

A further object of the'invention is to provide a tag printing device of the character described in which the aligner springs when open are in such a position as to engage a type moving pick precisely when the type character is in its proper position at the printing end of the device. 7

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a holder for type-carrying frames which simplifies the stamping and inking operation.

And yet another object of the invention is to provide a holder for type-carrying frames which is of such construction as to permit mounting of the frames therein in such a manner that at the printing end there are type characters in parallel as well as perpendicular lines. Thus special tags requiring parallel and perpendicular lines of type can be stamped in a single operation.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent as the following description proceeds 'in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a face view of a type-carrying frame made in accordance with the invention, parts being broken away to reveal details of construction;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary enlarged end elevational view looking from the line 2--2 of Figure 1 and showing the frame in a printing position;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the frame in a type setting position;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 with one of the frame closure plates removed to disclose interior details;

Figure 5 is an enlarged elevational view of a portion of the printing end of the frame in its printing position with parts broken away to show details ofv construction;

inserted Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing the frame in its type setting position;

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 5;

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8 showing the frame in its type setting position; I

Figure 10 is a side elevational view of a stamper em ploying the frames previously shown,.with.parts broken away to show details of construction;

Figure 11 is a rear elevational view of the stamper with the back plate broken away to reveal interior details; Figure 12 is a rear elevational view of the stamper without the frame holder and with back plate and slide removed to show interior details;

Figure 13 is a face view ofthe frame holder per se;

Figure 14 is a rear elevational view of a detail of the Stamper;

Figure 15 is a sectional view taken on the line 1515 of Figure 11;

Figure 16 is a sectional view taken on the line 16--16 of Figure 12;

Figure 17 is a perspective view of a modified form of a frame holder;

Figure 18 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a type moving pick shown engaging a type strip;

Figure 19 is a sectional view taken on the line 19 -19 of Figure 18;

Figure 20 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view look ing down on the printing end of the frame and illustrating the manner in which the pick engages the aligner springs;

and

Figure 21 is a sectional view taken on the line 2121 v of Figure 20.

Specific reference is now made to the drawings wherein.

similar reference characters are used for corresponding elements throughout. 1

The basic unit of the present invention is the type carrying frame or member 10 which is relatively flat. It consists of a rear plate 12 and a front plate 14 each having a plurality of vertical slits 16 opening through:

the printing end. The plates have overlapping flanges 18 forming the sides 20 and overlapping slotted flanges 22 forming the bottom of the plates.

tures 26 and the plates are held together by appropriate screws or rivets 28 extending through the plates and into p the apertures 26. On the inner face of one of the plates is mounted a short plate 30 having an apertured flange 32.

Mounted between the plates is a plurality of rods 34 each including a roller 36 at one end and a shoulder 38 intermediate its ends. The rods slip into the slots of the flanges 22 with the shoulders 38 hearing against the flanges 22 and the ends of the rods opposite the rollers extending into the apertures of the flange 32, there being a spring 40 about each rod terminally bearing against the shoulders 38 and flange 32 normally urging the' rollers outwardly of the frame.

The sides 20 of plates 12 and 14 are provided with 48 and 50 are circular plates 56 which are in turn rotat ably journaled in ears 58. Extending laterally from the Patented Jan. 15,1957

The interior of one of the plates is provided with a flat bar 24 with apertops of the ears 58 are stub shafts 60 which are journalcd in end members 62. The end members 62 are joined by a lateral plate 64 and a plurality of upper rollers 66 which are. m un ed-0a. rans r e sh hemrper n of the plate 64 is grooved as at 70 to receive the rollers 66. The plate 64, carries a plurality. of divider plates 72 which extend between the rollersand into. the verticalslits 16 of the plates12 and14.

Mounted on each of the sub shafts 60 between the end member62-and. the ear 58.is.a. pair of fingers 74, the free ends of which have open. slots 76. Substantially U- shaped aligner springs. or wires 78 are; provided, the web portions 80 of.wh ich extend laterally of the frame on both sides of the printing end or. rollers 66. The alignen wires fit into the.open slots.76 adjacent their corners. The legs 829i the. wires are received. in outstruclt keepers 84 which are provided in. the plates 12 and: 14, thefree gadget the legs being hooked into holes in -the plates 35:31"

,Bassingover. the rollers 36 and 66 between the dividers 72 are endless hands88- having type characters 90 thereon.

In operation, when the handle 54 is in a downward position as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 6 and 8 the type is. in a printing position, the rollers 66 being down and the lower end of the plate being immediately adjacent the shaft 52. In this position the webs of the aligners 78. are inwardly against the laterally aligned depressions in the type bands88 on both sides of the type characters 90. at the printing end of the; device. Thus self-shifting of the type is restrained by the aligner wires. The flat contour of the. aligner wires makes them effective to, restrain large and small type characters. The friction of therollers 66 in the groove 70 of the plate 64 also acts to. restrain selt-shitting of the type. When the handle is turned. to an. upward position, the eccentric movement. of the circular plates 56 in the ears 58 raises the ears and therefore the plate 64 and the rollers 66. In so doing the fingers 74 spread apart and the aligner wires 7,8.tberefore also spread apart as shown inFiguresB, 7 and 9. 'Ihus the type bands are free to roll, which is the type setting position.

To change the type, the frame is held. in one hand while the handle isup and a pick 92, see Figures 18-21, is operated with the other hand. The pick is. preferably a narrow metallic box-like member having compressible side walls- 94 and 96 and an upwardly curved extension 98 at its forward end. Walls 94 and 96 are compressed to engage the. type band 88 and thereby the band can be shifted in, either direction until the desired type character is brought into-view. The extension 98 is made to engage under the type character and upward movement of the band is continued. When the extension 98. strikes the open web portions 80 of; the aligner wires. 78, no further upward movement can be imparted towthe type band and' the. type character chosen is automatically placed in its-proper position at the. printing endwof the'device. The handlejs then turned down whereby the rollers 66 move down; and .thealigner wires 78 close againstthe type bands in the manner previously. described. Should a type character at the printingend of the. device be out of alignment; the aligner wires will push. it into its proper printing position.

Each of: the printingunits described hereabove may be retained in anopen ended holder to be used with a Stamper device. 6 Such. a holder may be provided with spring clips to releasably engage the rubber covered yokes 46. There are times when commerce requires; the stamping op printing; of tags'with horizontallines. of legends. and with a vertical line of legends. Heretofore this was accomplished by separate stampings.

In Figure 17 is shown a holder, which can accomplish this .is one.-st amping operation. The holder is a box 100, preferably n etallic, which is rectangular and has an open the box 100 is another box 104 having an open end 106 in the same plane as the open end 102. The box 104 is narrower than the box 100 audits longitudinal axis parallels the side of the box 100 to which it is attached. It may be narrow enough to accommodate only one printing unit 10.

When the printing units 1 0 are placed and retained in i the boxes 100 and 104 with thei'r printing ends extending through the p nin .2 4. 1 106; t il b seen that in one printing operation, a number of parallel lines of legends are produced as well as aline oflegends perpendiwlar. t he crsmen nedt Par ll l line In Figures 10-16 is shown a hand stamper employing the printing unit 10 which is of simple construction and effective in operation. The same comprises a holder 108 which is a substantially rectangular hollow, preferably metallic, box having an open end 110. The interior of the l s nd. o th b xi pro e w vsn nsclips 112 o leas b r h ldin the mhb rov red y e of the printing device 10, the printing end of; the; latter extending hr u h. he 12m. nd of. e ho as cwn i ure. ,0- i

Th S a p r; c u es. a e nga ed m mbe l which p n 1 t we nd. and; n l d s Peripheral fl e 16.. dab at rqush a l la he fl n e a the ppe end. is a bar llfi havir g a narrow: slot and a wider open-ended slot 122 therebeneath. A rivet 124 is carried by the member 114; and epgagesslidably in thenarrow slot 12.0; o. gui em em n aofi ba 11 and pr e complete retraction thereof through the upperflange.

An aperture or hole 12 6 -is provided in the member 114 to receive a grooved pintle 128 extending from one face ofi Ih6;h91d 61-108. When the bar 118 is moved from the open position of Figure 12 to. the closed; position of Figum 11', the. sides of the haratthe wider slot 122 engage inthe groove of the pintle 128 to, retain, the holder 108 but still permit its. rotation as shown in phantom in Figure 11.

To retain the holder 108. in a; releasable but aligned vertical position as shown in the;drawings, the member 114 is provided. with a vertical slit 130. A substantially U-shaped spring 132.i-s.wound about a headed screw 134 which is carried by the member'114; the legs of which are engaged. in the slit; The IegsIaretensioned to spread apart and one leg cam'es a'roller 136. The lower edge of the holder 108 is curved asat 138 and includes a V-notch 140. Thus when the-holder is rotated about its pintle 128, the curved edge 138 thereof will ride over the roller 136 and depress the same until it engages in the notch 140.

Mounted. on thefianges at the lower endof the member 114 is a shaft 142 upon which is rotatably mounted the: ears 144 of; an inking pad. 146, the rear of which carries a roller 148. Wound about theshaft is a spring 150, one end 152of which. is hooked onto the lower edge of the rnerriber 11 4. and the. other-end 154 of; which i cur to heinkins pa h spr s q s o e l to ma hs-Pad dow r at lr ree he PQ zlliO ho Figure 10.

Mounted on the member 114 adjacent its side flanges are guide bars 156 .and.15$.whichslidably receive a plate 160, having an outwardly. angled lower portion to which is secured a hollow. base .162-, the bottom of which is open. in the conventional .wayto. permit the type to protrude therethrough and imprint orr any tag or other object. Secured to the shaft 142 is a spring 164, the upper end of which includes a hook 166 that engages in a notch 168 at the upper edge of the plate 160. Whenthe plate is engaged in the guide bars- 156 and 158 is bears against the roller 148 on the inking pad and urges the latter to a horizontal position as shown in Figure 10 against action of the spring 150.

To releasably hold the plate 160 in place, the upper edge of the plate includes an inwardly extending lip 170. The member 114 has. pivoted thereto as at 172 a locking. bar 1 74 which has nllower lip 17.6. When the bar is turned as shown in Figures 11 and 15, the lips.170 and 176 engage and the latter acts as a stop during the entire slide movement of the plate 160. When the bar is turned as shown in Figure 12, the lips 170 and 176 disengage and the plate 160 can then be removed for replacement or repair of parts. A closure plate 178 is provided which is screwed to the guide bars 156 and 158 as at 180.

In operation, when the stamper is in the position shown in Figure 10, the printing end of the frames is pressed against the inking pad 146 because the plate 160 bearing against the pad roller, 148 urges the pad upwardly against action of its spring 150. Thus the type characters are receiving ink in this position. When the holder 108 is pressed downwardly, the plate 160 moves upwardly stretching the spring 164 whereupon the spring 150 urges the inking pad into a downward position. The printing ends of the type frames 10 consequently clear the pad and protrude through the bottom of the base 162 i there to imprint legends on any tag or other object.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described hereabove, skilled artisans may make minor variations Without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a tag printing device having a frame, a first series of rollers mounted adjacent one end thereof and a second series of rollers movably mounted on said frame adjacent the opposite or printing end thereof, endless type bands extending around said frame and trained around said ends, said bands constantly engaging said first series of rollers but being out of engagement with said second series of rollers when the type bands are in printing position, means carried by said frame to move said second series of rollers into engagement with said type bands and thereby place the bands out 'of printing position and into type setting position, and type aligning means carried by said frame normally engaging said type bands when said bands are in printing position and operatively connected to said first-named means whereby upon operation of said first-named means, said aligning means is moved from its normal position against said type bands to a position away from said type bands.

2. In a tag printing device having a frame, a first series of rollers mounted adjacent one end thereof and a second series of rollers movably mounted on said frame adjacent the opposite or printing end thereof, endless type bands extending around said frame and trained around said ends, said bands constantly engaging said first series of rollers but being out of engagement with said second series of rollers when the type bands are in printing position, the periphery of said second series of rollers being normally inward of the printing end of said frame and said type bands bearing on said printing end when the type bands are in printing position, and means carried by said frame to move said second series of rollers so that the periphery thereof extends beyond the printing end of the frame to engage said type bands whereby moving said type bands out of engagement with the printing end of said frame.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said first-named means includes a shaft rotatably mounted on said frame beneath said second series of rollers, a handle carried by said shaft exteriorly of the frame, and means eccentrically connecting said shaft to said second series of rollers.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said eccentric connecting means includes ears rotatably connected to the ends of said second series of rollers, and circular disks rotatably mounted in said ears, said shaft being fixedly and eccentrically connected to said disks.

5 The device of claim 4 wherein said type aligning means includes substantially U-shaped members having legs secured to the frame and web portions extending across the frame at its printing end and on both sides of the type bands, and pairs of slotted fingers engaging the web portions of said U-shaped members adjacent their corners, each pair of fingers being operatively connected to each of said ears.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said first-named means includes a shaft rotatably mounted on said frame beneath said second series of rollers, a handle carried by said shaft exteriorly of the frame, and means eccentrically connecting said shaft to said second series of rollers, said type aligning means including substantially U-shaped members having legs secured to the frame and web portions extending across the frame at its printing end and on both sides of the type bands, and pairs of slotted fingers engaging the web portions of said U-shaped mem bers adjacent their corners, said fingers being operatively connected to said means eccentrically connecting said shaft to said second series of rollers.

7. In a tag printing device having a frame including opposite ends, one of which is a printing end and endless type bands with type characters thereon entrained for movement over said ends and around said frame; means to selectively align and release the type at the printing end of the frame, said means including a shaft rotatably mounted on the frame, means eccentrically mounted on said shaft, pairs of slotted fingers carried by said eccentric mounting means, and wires secured to the frame and engaging said fingers, said wires including portions extending across the frame at its printing end and on both sides of the type bands whereby turning the shaft in one direction will spread the fingers and move the wires away from the type bands whereas turning the shaft in an opposite direction will urge the fingers together and move the wires into engagement with the type bands.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 381,227 Ellis Apr. 17, 1888 785,360 Hill Mar. 21, 1905 1,143,445 Scotford June 15, 1915 1,323,782 Mintz Dec. 2, 1919 2,103,752 Lippard Dec. 28, 1937 2,160,063 Dyer May 30, 1939 2,569,013 Lippard Sept. 25, 1951 

